Treatments typically cost more than $20,000 and require
several additional cycles, each costing an average of $12,400,
according to BabyCenter.

And as traditional forms of credit are becoming harder to secure,
women have turned to specialized lenders to help cover the
cost.

Here's what you need to know about alternative financing for in
vitro:

These loans can carry higher interest rates than credit
cards. Most loans are unsecured and carry interest
rates of as much as 22 percent, according to Silver-Greenberg.
However, one woman said she paid a part of the procedure ($5,000)
with an interest rate of 7.99 percent. Another woman's costs
with CapexMD totaled to
$18,700 with a 12 percent interest rate.

Doctors benefit, too. Some doctors refuse
to offer loans because they say it makes desperate patients
vulnerable to predatory lending. But others who partner with
these private firms aren't required to disclose their
investment in the lender to their patients, Silver-Greenberg
says.

Partial refunds are available. Some
programs offer refunds when procedures are unsuccessful.
IntegraMed, a fertility clinic operator, said
it will refund 70 percent of its $24,000 package of six IVF
treatments if they all fail. However, if the first round works,
the borrower owes everything. Because of this, doctors might be
more inclined to treat women who they think are more likely to
be successful on the first try.